Company Overview

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading trade association for the U.S. and Canadian recreational boating industry (nmma.org), the primary advocate for the boat manufacturing community, and the leading producer of consumer boat shows in the United States. 

Member-owned and driven, the NMMA team manages an annual budget of $50M. As part of this work, NMMA runs the industry’s consumer-facing Discover Boating initiative (DiscoverBoating.com), that attracts 4-5 million potential boat buyers to DiscoverBoating.com. Additionally, Discover Boating consumer boat shows attract 500K attendees to its 10 events each year. 

NMMA represents 85% of the U.S. and Canadian recreational marine manufacturing market including companies that make boats, marine engines, components and accessories. On behalf of its members, who sell products to countries around the world, NMMA provides business intelligence and statistics; product standards and certification; regulatory and government affairs; and consumer and B2B promotion.  

NMMA is a frequent and influential collaborator with the leading business trade organizations focused on advancing recreation in America including the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Recreational Boating, and Fishing Foundation, American Sportfishing Association, Center for Sportfish Policy, and many others. 

NMMA Mission 

Our Why: Creating Transformational Experiences 
Our Vision: Recreational boating is the #1 leisure activity in America.  
Our Mission: To ensure the growth and success of the recreational boating industry.  
Our Core Values: Respect/Serve Others/Be Curious/Collaborate/Focus on the Consumer 

Our Promise to Members:  

• Convene, unify, and expand the North American recreational boating market
• Foster a favorable business environment for members
• Cultivate a best-in-class boating experience for consumers
• Encourage continuous improvement of recreational boating products
• Champion industry information, learning, and knowledge
• Ensure the health and success of NMMA and Discover Boating

Company Size and Location

NMMA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and maintains a hub office in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to Washington, D.C., and Chicago, members of NMMA’s overall 80-person team are based in regions where it produces its consumer boat shows including Boston, Louisville, Miami, Minneapolis, and New York. NMMA offers a flexible work environment, including remote and hybrid work.  

NMMA is one of the most financially sound trade associations in the global recreation industry. As a significant industry sector, companies across recreational boating provide meaningful outdoor and leisure experiences for millions of Americans. 

Job Summary:

The Director of Membership plays a critical role in the growth and sustainability of NMMA by managing all aspects of membership engagement, recruitment, retention, department administration and support. The Director of Membership will also be responsible for managing all member-related dues and funding models and ensuring timely revenue streams.

This role will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive growth and retention strategy for expanding membership and demonstrating member value through a well-executed and coordinated member engagement approach.  Gathering member insights via engagement and understanding the specific needs of our members including trends, challenges and opportunities within the recreational boating industry will be a key responsibility.  Analyzing the value of different member benefits from the member’s perspective and refining and tailoring sales strategies will be key to success, ensuring the association’s various services and offerings are deeply valued and highly utilized by our members.

The Director of Membership will strategically expand customer penetration within our member organizations by identifying and engaging additional stakeholders who could benefit from a deeper understanding of NMMA’s services and offerings.  This will include developing targeted approaches to involve these stakeholders, enhancing overall membership value and engagement.

This role will work collaboratively with the following teams to foster a culture of continuous improvement and alignment: marketing and communications, public relations, government relations, business intelligence, certification, shows, accounting, and operations. This position will serve as a key contact for NMMA’s over 1,200 members, employing a consultative approach to manage and grow these relationships with support from our in-house expertise, the leadership team, and the Board.  Establishing and monitoring effective metrics to gauge performance and utilize data to make informed decisions and adjustments to strategies as needed will be key.

This position will require exceptional interpersonal skills, data analysis capabilities, AMS experience, flexibility, collaboration, and versatility. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in member relations, database analytics and management, communications, and project work. Flexibility and understanding shifting roles will be critical to support change and evolving needs. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on behalf of a dynamic and growing industry at an association that values a strong culture of collaboration and service to its members.

• Member Engagement
  • Spearhead member engagement and strategize/execute supporting initiatives that deliver a deep sense of value and high service utilization rate from all members
  • Proficient knowledge and utilization of AMS data analytics for engagement metrics, segmentation, member campaign effectiveness and behavioral analysis/trend identification
  • Formulate and implement member communication strategies to ensure effective outreach and engagement
  • Take charge of new member orientation, onboarding, and check-in sessions to enhance member experience
  • Oversee tracking and reporting of member and industry engagement
  • Coordinate and manage the NMMA resource center at events

• Membership Dues and Assessments
  • Oversee comprehensive management of membership dues and assessments for over 1,200 members
  • Deep understanding of AMS platforms for managing membership data, applications, renewals, and engagement
  • Manage Discover Boating and Core Funding assessment data reconciliation and invoice collections for boat and engine manufacturer members, respectively
  • Conduct accounts receivable and trend reporting (monthly collection reports, contributor status, historical data, board reports)
  • Uphold compliance with membership dues rules and regulations

• Recruitment and Retention
  • Employ proactive strategies to recruit eligible non-member companies for NMMA membership
  • Develop and execute retention strategies to mitigate cancellation requests by utilizing AMS retention metrics, predictive analysis and feedback integration
  • Formulate and maintain a stakeholder communication strategy to educate members on membership, Discover Boating and Core Funding
  • Research, review and approve new member applications addressing eligibility, including final approval by the divisional Boards and NMMA Board of Directors
  • Provide leadership, support and direction on membership eligibility per NMMA by-laws

• Department Management, Administration and Support
  • Manage all department operations, including a membership direct report, budget responsibilities, website updates, and board and internal reporting
  • Ensure members maintain all various requirements for ongoing membership
  • Manage the maintenance and optimization of the membership database, conducting research and managing account/personnel updates
  • Experience with AMS knowledge in system proficiency, data integration with other systems, expertise in customizing features, reporting and analytics, and user training
  • Manage and coordinate the intake and processing of daily member inquiries and requests from both members and staff, serving as a primary resource

Other assigned membership-related duties

• Position Requirements & Credentials – Reports to Sr. Director, Operations
  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications or related field
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in membership management, preferably within a trade association or non-profit organization
  • Strong understanding and knowledge of AMS and CRM software and best practices/strategy
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to analyze data, identify trends, and develop actionable insights to drive membership growth, value and engagement
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and influence stakeholders at all levels
  • Demonstrates leadership and team management skills, along with cross-functional and collaboration experience
  • Financial management and budgeting expertise
  • Ability to travel for industry/staff events and meetings, potentially up to 15% of the time